Blue Jackets 2024 season preview, Kirill Marchenko needs to become a dominant scorer

Drafted 49th overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, Kirill Marchenko took time to develop. It first took four years to get him to North America. However, once on American soil, he has exceled and been a solid offensive player for the club.

Last season, Marchenko saw a boost in points from his rookie campaign (25 points up to 42 points). He also played a more well-rounded game compared to his rookie year. However, his goal totals were roughly the same (21 goals up to 23 goals). For a player whose specialty is scoring goals, this was somewhat of a disappointment. The expectation by many was for him to increase his goal total by 10 or more, which he did not.

This season, the goal for Marchenko is to continue to improve his offensive output. The club still sees a lot of potential. He has all the tools to be an elite goal scorer in this league. Now he just must reach that potential. If he can elevate his scoring output, that should elevate more players around him. That, in turn, will help the Blue Jackets climb the standings.

Marchenko will be in the top six this upcoming season. He had good chemistry with Dmitri Voronkov and Yegor Chinakhov last season, so it wouldn’t be surprising if the trio was put together on a line. However, with the addition of Sean Monahan and return of Adam Fantilli; Marchenko may see new linemates this upcoming season. Marchenko will be a mainstay on the power play and will be relied upon to score goals.

Marchenko inked a three-year contract extension that carries an AAV of $3.85 million. That’s a good contract for the player and club. The player got a nice bump in pay while also securing a bridge contract that will allow him to earn an even larger pay increase should he perform well within those 3 years.

Meanwhile, the team gets a 20+ goal scorer at a reasonable cap hit for the next years. Should he blossom into the elite goal scorer that many think he can be, then this contract is even more of a bargain for the team. This contract will allow the club to determine an appropriate cap hit for Marchenko’s next contract, which is expected to be much longer in duration.

One bold prediction: Kirill Marchenko will score 35 or more goals.

Kirill Marchenko has all the attributes to become an elite goal scorer in this league. In his first two seasons, he has scored 21 and 23 goals. Yet, there are times when it seems as though he should score more often. I think this is the season where he finally breaks through into the player that many think he can become. I think the team around him will play much better, which will give ample opportunities for him to improve.

Marchenko is a core piece of the Blue Jackets both for this season and in the long-term. He is one of the more talented players on the active roster and will be a mainstay in the CBJ top six for years to come. If he can elevate his game even further, then the team may have found its sniper.